List of English words of Yiddish origin
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This is a list of English language words of Yiddish language origin, many of which have entered the language by way of American English. Spelling of some of these words may be variable (for example, schlep is also seen as shlep, schnoz as shnozz, and so on).
It is worth noting that some of these words are infact of Hebrew origin but have entered the English language via their Yiddish forms. Some of these words have Indo-European roots (which can be seen by comparing them with similar Dutch or German, Russian or Ukrainian words), but they most likely entered the English vocabulary via Yiddish.
- bagel
- from בײגל beygl - a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough
- blintz
- a sweet cheese-filled crepe (from Yiddish בלינצע blintse)
- bris
- the circumcision of a male child
- chutzpah
- audacity, effrontery (Hebrew via Yiddish חוצפּה khutspe)
- dybbuk
- the malevolent spirit of a dead person which enters and controls a living body until exorcised (from Hebrew דיבוק dibbuk, that which clings)
- dreck
- (Vulgar) Worthless material, especially merchandise; "crap"
- frummer
- (British English slang): a Hasidic Jew (from Yiddish "frum", religious)
- gelt
- chocolate coins eaten on Chanukah (from Yiddish געלט gelt 'money')
- kibitz
- to offer unwanted advice, e.g. to someone playing cards; to converse idly, gossip (from Yiddish קיבעצען kibetsn)
- klutz
- clumsy person (from Yiddish קלאָץ klots 'wooden beam')
- kosher
- conforming to Jewish dietary laws; (slang) appropriate, legitimate (originally from Hebrew כּשר)
- kvetch
- complain (from Yiddish קװעטשן kvetshn 'press, squeeze')
- latke
- potato pancake, especially during Chanuka (from Yiddish, from either Ukrainian or Russian)
- lox
- smoked salmon (from Yiddish לאַקס laks 'salmon')
- maven
- expert (from Yiddish מבֿין meyvn, from Hebrew mevin 'one who understands')
- minyan
- the quorum of ten adult (i.e., 13 or older) Jewish males who are necessary for the holding of a public worship service
- mishmash
- hodgepodge (from Yiddish מישמאַש mishmash)
- nosh
- snack (from Yiddish נאַשן nashn)
- schicker or schickered
- drunk, intoxicated
- schlep
- to drag or haul (an object); to make a tedious journey (from Yiddish שלעפּן shlepn)
- schlock
- A poorly made product or poorly done work, usually quickly thrown together for the appearance of having been done properly; "this writing is schlock." Something shoddy or inferior. (perhaps from Yiddish shlak 'a stroke')
- schlong
- Vulgar. penis (from Yiddish שלאַנג shlang 'snake')
- schmaltz
- excessive sentimentality; chicken fat or drippings used as a shmeer on bread (from Yiddish שמאַלץ shmalts)
- schmeer
- as a verb, to spread, e.g. the cream cheese on your bagel; also, as a noun, that which you spread on something, e.g. "I'll have a piece of challah with schmeer." (from שמיר)
- schmo
- a stupid person. (an alteration of schmuck; see below)
- schmooze
- to converse informally (from Yiddish שמועסן shmuesn)
- schmuck
- a jerk, an unpleasant person (from Yiddish שמאָק shmok 'penis')
- schnook
- an easily imposed-upon or cheated person, a pitifully meek person. a particularly gullible person. (from Yiddish שנוק)
- schnoz
- a nose, especially a large nose. (also spelled from Yiddish שנויץ shnoits 'snout')
- shammes
- the beadle or sexton of a synagogue, possibly contributory to the American slang word "shamus," for a policeman, by way of the Irish "Seamus" (from Yiddish shames, an attendant) (originally from Hebrew שמש shamash 'servant')
- shtick
- comic theme; a defining habit or distinguishing feature (from Yiddish שטיק 'a piece of something')
- schtupp
- (vulgar) to have sex with
- spiel
- a lengthy talk (from Yiddish שפּיל shpil 'play')
- tchotchke
- knickknack, trinket (from Yiddish טשאַטשקע tshatshke)